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(N0 Modl.)

0.. H. ALLEN.

TRAGE HOOK. I No. 272.182.- v Patented Feb. 13,1883.

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' UNITED STATES P TENT OFFrcE.

COTTON H. ALLEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TRACE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,182, dated February13, 1883.

Application filed October 31, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, G'o'r'roN H. ALLEN, a

- citizen ofthe United States, residing at St.

which shall also prevent lateral play of the hook and cause the strainto be met squarely along the entire length of the pintle and its seat orsocket, thereby rendering the wear uniform and preventing the seat frombeing unduly worn at its ends or corners. To such end I provide thetrace-hook with ears connected together by a pintle, and provide a clipwhich is secured to the trace and bent so as to form at one end of thetrace a seat for the pintle of the trace-hook. These ears have theirinner opposing sides made plane-faced and of greater width than thediameter of the pintle, so that when the clip and the book are connectedthe inner flat bearing-surfaces of the ears shall cover the seat orsocket for the pintle at each end, and also overlap or embrace the edgesof the clip at its bend which forms the pintle-seat, thereby preventinglateral play of the hook and causing the strain to be met squarely alongthe entire length of the pintle and its seat.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a tracehook connected to a trace inaccordance with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectionthrough the same. Fig. 3 represents the hook detached.

Aindicates a portion of an ordinary leather trace.

' B is the trace-hook, which is made fiat, as

usual, and designed for attachment to one end of the trace or tug. Thetrace-hook is enlarged at the end of its shank portion, and providedwith a pair of parallel lugs or ears, 0, which project from the cornersof said enlarged end of the shank. These lugs or cars are connectedtogether by means of a cylindrical pintle, D, which is arranged parallelwith and set out from the straight edge E at the end of the shank, so asto leave a space between the two.- The clip F, for connecting this hookto the end of the trace, consists of a metal strap bent at or near itsmiddle, so as to adapt it to fit npon'the two sides of the trace. Thetwo sides or leaves of this clip are contracted together or bentslightly inwardly at a point back of the bend, so that a seat or socketis formed for the pintle of the book, which can be readily passedbetween the leaves of the clip into said seat before the clip is appliedto the trace.

When the hook and the clip are connected together, the pintle D lies inthe bend or seat f transversely to the length of the clip, while thebent portion of the clip which passes around the pintle also passesthrough the space which is bounded by the pintle, the straight end ofthe shank, and the inner sides of the two ears.

This constitutes a simple and efficient hingeconnection between the hookand the clip and allows the pintle, which is rigid with the hook, toturn freely in the bend or seat in the clip. The leaves of this clip areprovided with any suitable number of perforations for the rivets G,which can be passed through said leaves and the traceand then headed upin any convenient manner. e

The lugs or ears 0 can .be rounded on their outer sides, so as to give afinished appearance to the article; but upon their inner opposing faces,0, they are made flat, so that when the hook and clip are connectedtogether the edges of the latter at its bend shall be embraced by twoplane bearing-surfaces. These fiat, sides of the ears extend over theedges of the clip; and to provide for such extension the metal formingthe ears is spread out and flattened, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The earsare rounded at their edges, and are also rounded in outline at theirfree or outer ends, so that the latter,

coming in contact with the" end of the trace, will not injure the same,and also will not check the free movement of the book. These ears,having fiat inner sides embracing the edges of the clip at its bend,constitute guards which prevent undue sagging or lateral movement of theclip or ho0k,'and also tend to keep the pintle squarely against the bendin the IOC clip, thereby preventing unequal wear at either corner or endof the seat in which the pintle is located.

Heretofore a trace-hook has had its shank somewhat extended, and suchextension inserted and secured between the leathers comprising thetrace; but the advantage of the hinged connection between the trace andthe book will be apparent, since by employing such hinged connection theparts are not liable to break. The trace sets easier and better, and isnot liable to be torn or injured, since the clip serves to strengthenrather than to weaken it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v The combination ofthe trace-hook B, provided with a pintle, D, connecting together a pairof ears extending from the shank portion of the hook with theherein-described clip, consisting ofa metal strap having itsends adaptedto be secured to the sides of the trace and bent near its middle to forman eye for the pintle on the hook, said pintle being located in the eyeat the end of the trace, and the clip being contracted back of its eye,the hook and clip being hinged or pivoted together, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing wit

